It was a lazy Saturday night. I was home, freshly out of college and tracking the virtual world for a job. Frustrated that my midnight sojourn was getting me nowhere I turned to my refuge- Facebook. I was pleasantly surprised to see a message from a person with whom I had a huge fight, and I had no intention to talk to him again. I had completely forgotten that he existed but it looked like he wanted things to get better between us. Sending a sarcastic reply to his five friendly lines, I thought that I had closed that chapter forever in my life, not to realize that it was the first of the many more messages that I would exchange with him for years to come, and that Facebook would give me the person who is perfect in his imperfections.

I am not the only one who has found Mr perfect through the virtual world. Each day people send, accept friend request, chat, flirt, and make new contacts that more often than not turn into meaningful relationships. In our world, where we are too wrapped up in our own problems, the virtual world is the perfect place to cull loneliness and to find prospective partners. Talking to a few couples who met online and are currently very happy with life, I realized that everyone yearns for love and virtual world not only gives good relationships but also friends forever.

Revati (named changed) loves making friends and urges people to not forgo the virtual world in spite of some bad experiences, especially after she met her love Amit on networking website Orkut. They initially chatted for fun and then realized that they had the same wavelength. Both the people used to talk about their respective crushes and how bad it was going.

Five years after they started talking through emails and chats like virtual friends, they have now become actual BFF (Best friends forever), who couldn't spend even one day without talking to each other. From chats, SMSes to video chat they did it all but they were never attracted towards each other. Things were not rosy in their respective lives and both wanted someone who would give love the priority. It was not till 2012 that Amit finally understood what he really felt for Revati, and she got to hear the words she was waiting for. Now they are spending this Valentine's Day together.

Ishika was searching something more out of life than what she had at the moment. She already had a boyfriend but she grew up with him and somehow grew over the relationship. It was at this time, that she accepted the friend request of a guy, who was also pursuing the same career. This became their main discussion topic and before they knew, they had fallen for each other. Ishika broke off with her boyfriend of six years as she felt that she finally got what she was looking for in a guy- a friend and confidante. In her own words she wanted someone who was mature yet a friend and now that she has got that friend, she wants this tingling of the stomach, flutter of the heart to remain forever in her relationship.

Valentine's Day is special for Nitin Kumar as it is also the day when his once classmate, now girlfriend and previously Facebook friend said yes to his proposal. Although he shuns the idea of any particular day being celebrated as Valentine's Day but February 14 is special as it brought him his love. He said that although it was Kiara, who sent him a friend request on Facebook, yet as soon as he saw her pictures, he fell head over heels in love. “I was smitten for the first few months” and it took just so much time for him to know that he won't be able to live without her. Hence Facebook brought two like-minded people together, yet again!

Saurav Thankur was reluctant to accept the friend request of a girl he hardly knew, and therefore kept her waiting. But eventually he did accept the request and it was not long before that friendly conversation transformed into something more between them. What started as reluctance became conversation of two like-minded people and it was not long before they understood that they are in love. That there was no formal proposal and that the girl did not expect one was the extent to which both of them liked each other.

Singles who want to mingle but don't know how to end their days of singlehood must take a cue from all these anecdotes and start interacting more over the virtual world. There can be some bad experiences but who knows cupid may strike through a single click!